The following are images of some of Ethiopia past rulers and other aristocracies.

• Emperor Yekuno Amlak (lived from 1230-85 AD)

• Emperor Lebna Dengel (1501-40 AD)

• Emperor Fasiliades (1603-67 AD)

• King Sahleselassie of Shewa province (1795-1847 AD)

• King Hailemelekot of Shewa province (1824-55 AD)

• Emperor Tewodros II (1818-68 AD)

• Emperor Teklegiyorgis II (??-1873 AD)

• Emperor Yohannes IV (1837-89 AD)

• Ras Alula Abanega (1827-97 AD)

• King Teklehaimanot of Gojjam province (1841-1901 AD)

• Ras Mikael of Wollo province (1850-1918 AD)

• Emperor Menelik II (1844-1913 AD)

• Empress Taytu Betul (1851-1918 AD)

- She was the wife of emperor Menelik II.

• Ras Darge Sahleselassie (1830-1900 AD)

• Ras Makonnen Woldemikael (1852-1906 AD)

- He was the father of emperor Haileselassie

Hello Hati13.
Do you have any idea what this scroll is about

zenmaster:
Hello Hati13.
Do you have any idea what this scroll is about

It's about Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. The top figure seems Devil, while bottom figures seems saints killing the snake.

Hati13:

It's about Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. The top figure seems Devil, while bottom figures seems saints killing the snake.

can u read some of the words?

zenmaster:

can u read some of the words?

It's difficult to read since the pic quality isn't good.

Hati13:

It's difficult to read since the pic quality isn't good.

ok
If you give me your email address, I can send you clearer ones.
My email is zenmaster59@gmail.com

zenmaster:

ok
If you give me your email address, I can send you clearer ones.
My email is zenmaster59@gmail.com

Ok
My email is hati13yeshi@gmail.com

Hati13:

Ok
My email is hati13yeshi@gmail.com

I just sent you the scrolls by email

zenmaster:

I just sent you the scrolls by email

I checked them and all of them are in Geez language. I can't speak Geez. But since Geez and Amharic language have some common words, there are many words in the scrolls I know, but some of the religious words are:-
- egeziabehere (the Christian God)
- amelake (God) - it can also be interchangeable with "egeziabehere".
- girma (majesty) - my name is "Girma" by the way.
- agnenete (demon)
- tslote (pray)
- sayetane (devil)
- amen (amen)
- maleake (angel)
- mikael, surafel (they are angel names)
- nafese (soul)

The alphabet is in Geez alphabet and the modern day Amharic alphabet known as "Ethiopic" is a reformed version of Geez alphabet.

May be "Ednited" can help you. She may understand religious Geez texts to some extent.

The above religious words in Ethiopic alphabet are shown below

Hati13:

I checked them and all of them are in Geez language. I can't speak Geez. But since Geez and Amharic language have some common words, there are many words in the scrolls I know, but some of the religious words are:-
- egeziabehere (the Christian God)
- amelake (God) - it can also be interchangeable with "egeziabehere".
- girma (majesty) - my name is "Girma" by the way.
- agnenete (demon)
- tslote (pray)
- sayetane (devil)
- amen (amen)
- maleake (angel)
- mikael, surafel (they are angel names)
- nafese (soul)

The alphabet is in Geez alphabet and the modern day Amharic alphabet known as "Ethiopic" is a reformed version of Geez alphabet.

May be "Ednited" can help you. She may understand religious Geez texts to some extent.

The above religious words in Ethiopic alphabet are shown below

Many thanks Hati.
So basically those scrolls contains religious narrative.
I will keep searching. I am curious about the meaning of the text

Hati13:
• Emperor Dawit II or famously known as "Lebne Dengel"

Tell us more about the Kebre Nagast

zenmaster:

Tell us more about the Kebre Nagast

The Kebre Negast (means "Glory of the King" ) is a legend about King Solomon and Queen Sheba. It says that Queen of Sheba (she is called "Makeda" in Ethiopia) went to Israel to meet King Solomon and she was pregnanted by him. She then returned to Ethiopia and the child (male) was born. He was named "Menelik I" and after some years he went to Israel to meet his father. He stayed there for some years and returned back to his country Ethiopia, but his followers stole the "Ark of the Covenant" and took it with them. He then became the ruler of Ethiopia when his mother, Queen of Sheba, abdicated in favor of him. Every ruler of Ethiopia from 900s BC to until the deposition of emperor Haileselassie in 1974 AD with the exception of Zagwe rulers (1150-1270 AD) were descendants of him.

The Aksumites empire of Ethiopia was laid to waste in the 10th century AD by a pagan Queen. All the royal family were killed, but one of the child member was taken to Amhara or Shewa province and escaped this tragedy. His descendants then ruled the province only until Yakuno Amlak restored the Solomonic dynasty in the 1270 AD (Gregorian calendar) and became the emperor of Ethiopia (at that time Ethiopia covered only Tigray, Wag, Lasta, Amhara and northern Shewa). He promised Christian Monk Teklehaymanot and other churche members that he would give 1/3 of his empire to the church and they supported him.

The legend is not true in real sense. It was created between 11th to 13th centuries AD for the purpose legitimizing the rule of emperor Yakuno Amlak after he deposed the last Zagwe dynasty ruler. Military success was the main reason for Yakuno Amlak coming to the throne, but the legend was used to legitimize it. The legend was then written in texts in 14th century AD.

The Aksumite empire began between 5th century BC to 1st century AD, but the legend says the Aksumites emperors are descendants of Menelik I and ruled Ethiopia from 900s AD. This and other claims make you to challenge the reality of the legend.

zenmaster:

Many thanks Hati.
So basically those scrolls contains religious narrative.
I will keep searching. I am curious about the meaning of the text

If I found someone who know Geez, I will ask to translate them for you.

How did you found them?

Hati13:

If I found someone who know Geez, I will ask to translate them for you.

How did you found them?

They were on display on the walls of a Theology school in USA.
I found them interesting and took photos of them.
They were hung high on the wall so I zoomed the camera as much as possible

Hati13:

If I found someone who know Geez, I will ask to translate them for you.

How did you found them?

I hope they were not stolen from Ethiopia, just as white people like to colonize African art

zenmaster:

I hope they were not stolen from Ethiopia, just as white people like to colonize African art

They definitely were stolen. Arabs, Turks, Portuguese and British had stolen so many of our treasures in the last 500 years. British was nobody at first, but they hugely benefited from our Christian texts and relics they stole starting from James Bruce in the 18th century AD and with the complete looting of emperor Tewodros II royal treasures in 1868 AD.

Some top universities in Europe and America have started to give Geez and Amharic language course, so thir ppl can exploitate the knowledge on the looted treasures. Geez is on the same level as Latin, because so many useful texts had been written using it starting from ancient times.

The fate of Ethiopia for the worse was sealed back in the 16th century AD, when Ahmed Gragn tried to laid waste on Christian Ethiopia and destroyed so many buildings churches, monasteries, relics and Christian texts. He also looted so many treasures and gave most of them to Turks and Arabs in order to finance his destructing campaign on the then great Christian Ethiopia. Christian civilization in Ethiopia was on the verge total annihilation, but the Portuguese came and helped us on the 11th hour.

The Oromo ppl then invaded Ethiopia and do their share in destructing our civilization.

I sometimes really wish to rather be born back during the reign of emperor Zara Yacob (in the 1400s). He is with out a doubt the greatest ruler Ethiopia ever had. Only King Ezana of Axumite (4th century AD), emperor Amde Seyon I (14th century AD), emperor Menelik II (19th century AD) and emperor Haile Selassie (20th century AD) can come close to him.

Ethiopia has a very interesting history.
For some reason, we do not hear much about Ethiopian Christianity, and we do not get to read their scriptures and other books.

Are there many English translations of Ethiopian Christian texts ?

Hati13:

They definitely were stolen. Arabs, Turks, Portuguese and British had stolen so many of our treasures in the last 500 years. British was nobody at first, but they hugely benefited from our Christian texts and relics they stole starting from James Bruce in the 18th century AD and with the complete looting of emperor Tewodros II royal treasures in 1868 AD.

Some top universities in Europe and America have started to give Geez and Amharic language course, so thir ppl can exploitate the knowledge on the looted treasures. Geez is on the same level as Latin, because so many useful texts had been written using it starting from ancient times.

The fate of Ethiopia for the worse was sealed back in the 16th century AD, when Ahmed Gragn tried to laid waste on Christian Ethiopia and destroyed so many buildings churches, monasteries, relics and Christian texts. He also looted so many treasures and gave most of them to Turks and Arabs in order to finance his destructing campaign on the then great Christian Ethiopia. Christian civilization in Ethiopia was on the verge total annihilation, but the Portuguese came and helped us on the 11th hour.

The Oromo ppl then invaded Ethiopia and do their share in destructing our civilization.

I sometimes really wish to rather be born back during the reign of emperor Zara Yacob (in the 1400s). He is with out a doubt the greatest ruler Ethiopia ever had. Only King Ezana of Axumite (4th century AD), emperor Amde Seyon I (14th century AD), emperor Menelik II (19th century AD) and emperor Haile Selassie (20th century AD) can come close to him.

zenmaster:
Ethiopia has a very interesting history.
For some reason, we do not hear much about Ethiopian Christianity, and we do not get to read their scriptures and other books.

Are there many English translations of Ethiopian Christian texts ?

Yes there are. For example the book of Enoch (originally written in Geez language) had been translated to Aramaic, Hebrew, English and others. The Ethiopian bible (some say it's the most complete bible in the world) I think had been translated to English.

"Ednited" knows more about Ethiopian Christian texts, so she can help you more on this.